Taurourodeoxycholic Acid (TUDCA) for Type 1 Diabetes

Clinically, the ability to slow or prevent beta cell demise can prevent or improve the course of type 1 diabetes. The immune-mediated destruction of beta cells that is an apparent major pathological basis for the disease, has led to efforts to prevent or suppress this immune assault. Here we propose to buttress the beta cell's capacity to withstand this assault by improving the function of the endoplasmic reticulum stress resolving mechanisms within these cells. The ability to do so could have a major impact on preventive and therapeutic strategies for type 1 diabetes (and possibly other types of diabetes). The type of endoplasmic reticulum stress relieving agent (TUDCA) proposed here could ultimately be applied on an anticipatory basis to individuals at high risk for type 1 diabetes.